Softball wins two in Panther Spring Classic

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—The Birmingham-Southern softball team picked up two wins today in the Panther Spring Classic, defeating Berry College, 4-3, and Millsaps College, 1-0, to move to 3-5 on the season.

Berry and Millsaps also both defeated Alabama A&M today, Berry by the score of 11-8 and Millsaps by the score of 10-7.

In BSC’s game against Berry, the Panthers scored one run in the bottom of the fourth on a wild pitch, but the Vikings responded with three runs in the top of the fifth. BSC tied it up in the bottom of the fifth on a two-RBI triple by sophomore Danielle Rucker. Sophomore Chelsea Fernandez recorded the game-winning RBI in the bottom of the seventh with a double up the middle.

Sophomore Jordan Allen was 2-of-2 and junior Ashley Bice was 2-of-3 at the plate, and the Panthers recorded eight total hits. Junior pitcher Ronni Ferris threw the complete game, giving up six hits with 10 strikeouts to move to 2-3 on the season.

In the final game of the day between BSC and Millsaps, both teams went scoreless until the bottom of the seventh when, with bases loaded, Bice recorded the game-winning and game-ending RBI to plate senior Melissa Revis.

BSC tallied six hits, led by Rucker, who was 2-of-3. Junior Beth Lefler threw the complete game and allowed four hits with five strikeouts in her first shutout of the year, moving to 1-2.

The Panthers are on the road for their next three dates, traveling to Macon, Ga., on March 12 to face Wesleyan College, Mount Lookout, Ga., on March 15 to face Covenant College, and Jackson, Miss., on March 16 to face Millsaps.